This is Strawberry our little strawberry roan pony. I purchased her at an auction last summer. You can read the post here. She's stubborn, aloof, and seriously mean to the other horses.
She's difficult!
Several years ago I was involved in helping with a women's retreat at the church we were recently a part of.
The retreat was wrapped around Beth Moore's Bible Study "Loving Well"
Mrs. Moore did a great job with this particular part of her study...dealing with difficult people. I still refer back to this mentally from time to time as I encounter those that require more of me than I'm willing to give at times.
But in all honesty, isn't it the difficult people that cause us to have to love with more patience, more determination, more flexibility. Wouldn't it be the difficult people that stretch our love, cause our love to grow into a more...unconditional love?
Because honestly, the difficult people tend to drain us emotionally and mentally. So loving them with a love that can only be provided by God would mature our ability to love others as Christ loved us.
I mean think about it...I know my thoughts, I know how selfish I can be, I know how DIFFICULT I can be, and yet God loved me...even while I was dead in my sins!
That blows me away....because I know how much worse I was then as opposed to now...and yet He loved me, unconditionally.
Yes, thank God for the difficult people. He gives them to us to challenge us, grow us, and to help us to become more like Him!
You can view the rest of Beth Moores series on "Loving Well" at Youtube.
Correction: If you would like to watch the whole series, you can watch it here. At the end of each clip it shows the next clip in the series. You can click on it here without having to go to youtube!
I am so enjoying listening to this as I organize and clean the schoolroom this morning. The children are upstairs cleaning and listening to Adventures in Odyssey.
I'm having a great time getting things done that have needed to be done for quite some time while being encouraged!
Blessings, Julie
3 comments:
Strawberry sure is beautiful! And yes, it does require a lot more of love to love a difficult person.
I've heard it said that God chooses our extended family and our neighbors. If we had the choice, we wouldn't choose those people in our lives who make us grow.
Thanks for the post.
You say things so well and gently. Thanks.
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